Studied by 33 people
Consumer
An organism that eats other organisms
Producer
An organism that can make its own food.
Primary Consumer
An organism that feeds on producers.
Secondary Consumer
An organism that eats primary consumers
Tertiary Consumer
An organism that eats secondary consumers
Predator
An animal that hunts other animals for food
Prey
Animal hunted or caught for food
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals
Herbivore
An animal that eats only plants
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals
Decomposer
An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms, helps to recycle nutrients.
Food Chain
A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
Food Web
A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains
Pyramid of Number
Representation of the number of individual organisms in each trophic level of an ecosystem
Pyramid of Biomass
A pyramid that illustrates the total mass of all the organisms in a trophic level.
Biomass
A measure of the total dry mass of organisms within a particular region.
Trophic Level
Each step in a food chain or food web
Quadrat
A square used to measure and estimate population number and changes between different areas
Decay
A breaking down or rotting.
Carbon Cycle
Movement of carbon in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment.
Combustion
Anything that is burned
Respiration
Conversion of energy stored in glucose molecules into energy the cells can use
Photosynthesis
Plants using the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars
Pollutant
A material found in air, water, or soil that is harmful to humans or other organisms
Global Warming
An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes)
Greenhouse Gas
Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and ozone in the atmosphere which are involved in the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse Effect
Process by which atmospheric gases trap heat close to Earth's surface and prevent it from escaping into space
Deforestation
Destruction or loss of forests
Eutrophication
pollution of water by fertiliser leading to excessive growth of algae on the surface preventing light from reaching the underwater plants
Habitat
Place where an organism lives
Population
All organisms of a particular species found in an ecosystem at a certain time.
Ecosystem
A self-supporting system of organisms interacting with each other and with their physical environment.
Community
The populations of all species found in an ecosystem at a particular time.
Species
A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
Leaching
Removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving downwards
Soil Erosion
the washing away of soil by the flow of water
Fertiliser
any substance such as manure or a mixture of nitrates used to make soil more fertile
Pesticide
A chemical intended to kill insects and other organisms that damage crops.
Radiation
Heat transferred from one object through space/atmosphere to another object
Biotic factor
the living factors in an organism's environment
Abiotic factors
Non-living components of environment.
Biological pest control
The use of certain organisms by humans to eliminate or control pests. e.g. ladybirds to eat aphids
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Flashcard (24)